Swenson Stone Consultants

Continuing the Swenson Legacy in Architectural Stone

Swenson Stone Consultants was founded in 1987 to provide objective advice to building owners and their architects. Since then, the company has expanded to supply stone for worldwide projects. Our team has had decades of experience in quarrying, fabricating, installing, and restoring stone. Because of our long, practical experience in the field, we are able to anticipate, identify, and avoid stone problems before they occur.

Swenson Stone Consultants continues the Swenson family’s 250-year-old tradition of providing and consulting on stonework to the most demanding residential, institutional, and commercial projects.

Malcolm Swenson CStJ, President

Swenson Stone Consultants, Ltd.™

After Swenson Granite ceased fabricating and supplying architectural granite, I began an odyssey that continues today. I[Malcolm] move to work for the Nixon Administration was cut short when China invited me to be an advisor to Mao Zedong’s government. The Commerce Department encouraged me to go, and I did. It was a fascinating experience, with China still in the Cultural Revolution, and I developed a great love for China and the Chinese People.

I moved on to advise King Faisal of Saudi Arabia on the development of a modern stone industry there. Swenson Granite’s former engineer, Langdon Garrison, joined me as we worked in quarry and factory developments there and in other countries from Lebanon to Pakistan. I became an Advisor to the Arab League.

All that was colorful, but not the best career path. My return to a normal career was delayed by a lengthy involvement as a volunteer anti-terrorist, undercover operative. I finally joined Turner International (Turner Construction), and had the great experience of working in the senior management of a major publicly-traded company. After about 10 good years, I had the opportunity to acquire two Turner subsidiaries and leave. One was a joint venture in China, which we continue. The other was a stone consulting company. I changed its name to Swenson Stone Consultants, Ltd.TM, and off we went.

My Brother, Dave Swenson, joined me, and we began with a single project from Turner, the Bell Atlantic Tower in Philadelphia. We added Goldman Sachs International Headquarters in London and the Messe Turm in Frankfurt, Germany’s tallest building. David and Harriet, and Barbara and I had several fun trips around Europe, including Sweden, where we worked with the Nilsons, quarry owners who said they were cousins. I was unsure of the connection, but they were such nice, attractive people, that I was happy to have them as cousins. Ms. Nilson reminded me of Auntie Bess.

Both Dave and I had been trained in an analytical approach to stone quantification and estimating by our Dad, Uncle Omar, and Swenson Granite’s longtime Chief Draftsman, Chester Larson.

We found that, by applying these techniques as consultants, we could both save clients substantial money, and, with our quarry and factory experience, avoid problems with stone. Those savings led to more projects. From a personal satisfaction standpoint, these projects have included many of the World’s most exciting designs, for the World’s most renowned architects.

We have stayed in the U.K., doing over 20 projects, with buildings along the Thames, from the Houses of Parliament to Vintners Place in the City. In Europe, we have done projects in multiple countries including the Czech Republic, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, The Netherlands, Norway, and Poland. A notable project in Italy was the Basilica of Padre Pio in San Giovanni Rotondo, a Church seating 10,000 people. It was a modern use of stone as structure, as in Gothic times. Internationally, we also have done projects in Brazil, Canada, China, Hong Kong, India, Japan, Korea, Pakistan, Palestine, Philippines, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Turkestan, The United Arab Emirates, Uzbekistan, and Viet Nam

Abu Dhabi National Oil Company HQ

Ronald Reagan Federal Office Building

However, most of our projects have been in America and Canada, in particular, in New York City, where we have recently completed the Farley Moynihan Train Hall, the Penn District, and 220 Central Park South. We have been fortunate to work on many iconic buildings there. Our present New York projects include the major Clarkson Square Residential Development, and an addition to the New York Historical Society. We are also doing the restoration of the Waldorf Astoria Hotel, using the Swenson Pink granite, from the original quarry. We have recently expanded to South Florida, where we are doing a major residential development, South Flagler House in West Palm Beach.

We are mindful of the Swenson quality, which is our heritage and purpose. Our projects have won a U.S. Pinnacle Award for Excellence in Stone, in three of the last four years. Overall, our projects have won over 100 awards for architecture or stone. We still think of John Swenson, and Ola Anderson, watching the quality every piece of granite they shipped. We are still watching.